If people come across a gun, they should not touch it, Conklin said. They should call 911 and guard it until police get there, he said. Children especially need to be told of the danger and what they should do in order to avoid injury or worse.

One of the two handguns was found in the Rippowam River near Cold Spring Road by a passerby, and the other, which was loaded, was found hidden in the back of a washing machine of a West Side apartment complex laundry room, Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said Friday.

The first gun found was a Smith & Wesson .32 cal. revolver that appeared to have been in the river for some time. It was not loaded.

"It looks like it was discarded from the bridge," Conkin said, referring to the bridge over the Rippowam River on Cold Spring Road.

The second was an Astra 9mm semiautomatic pistol that was found in a laundry room at 72 Spruce St. when the washing machine was being replaced. It wasn't known how long it had been there, but it had five rounds in it, and would be put through ballistics testing, Conklin said.

Police had not determined whether the guns had been used in any crimes.

The city has experienced a number of shootings in recent months, with two this week alone. In one Thursday night, a man was shot in the face on West Broad Street, and in another early Wednesday morning, a man was shot in the back on Stillwater Avenue.